What we Need, Is a Friend
by katieCOUTURE
Summary: It wasn't Harry that found her in the Astronomy Tower that night. It was someone different, someone she would have never expected. I Do Not Own Harry Potter :


I was running, and I didn't know where. I felt as if my heart broken into a million little pieces.

Never in my six years of knowing him I would have thought he would be so stupid. I gave him signs of my attraction to him every time I saw his face. I thought it was obvious, but I guess even I could be wrong some times. I ended up in the Astronomy Tower: crying my eyes out on the staircase. It was if I had nothing else to live for. I was so stupid to believe he would actually return my feelings; that he would actually care for me the way I do him.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." I scold myself.

There are footsteps coming from my left, my first thought is it's Harry, but when I finally look up… its someone crying, like me, only it's someone I thought I would never see showing an emotion besides hatred.

"M… Malfoy?" I stutter.

He looks up as if surprised I am even here.

"Granger?! What are you doing, are… are you crying?"

I hurriedly wipe the last of my tears.

"No, I'm not crying… I was enjoying the… moon."

He looks at me as if I should belong in a mental hospital.

"Yeah, it's… What the hell am I doing talking to you, filthy mudblood."

I cringe as he says it, the first time I have cringed from that word since second year. For some reason I feel so vulnerable at the moment. As if even a word can cause physical harm. My tears start flowing freely again; he notices.

"I can't believe I'm doing this…" he mutters.

A second later I feel a weight over my left shoulder. I look up surprised to see an actual genuine look on his face, not the nasty scowl he usually wears, but an actual concerned emotion.

"What's wrong" he attentively asks. To surprise me even more he wipes my tears.

"You don't want to hear it, it's nothing really…" I look away shyly.

"No, I want to know, …to know what made you upset."

"This isn't some sick joke is it? Are your little friends around the corner listening in?" I ask.

"No, it's just me and you… no prejudices no Gryffindor or Slytherin."

"Are you sure someone didn't imperio you, drug you or something?"

Malfoy… I mean Draco looks at me then laughs… a real laugh, and before I know what's happening I am laughing along with him. My thoughts of _him _forgotten .

"I'm serious, what's wrong?" he then asks.

"It's … Ron… he and Lavender were snogging in the common room."

"And I'm guessing you fancy Ron?" he asks lifting one of his fine eyebrows.

"I … I thought I did, but the more I think of the situation the more I believe it was just a childhood crush."

The more I talk the more confused I get… and speaking to Draco isn't helping any I always thought he was such a snollygoster, but the more we talk the more I grow to respect him.

"Well," he sighs "having 'crushes' is a part of growing up…" he looks troubled as he says this.

"What's wrong, I … I saw you crying in the doorway."

"Nothing, I just had something in my eye…" If I wasn't looking at him; I would have believed him, but his eyes told a different story. They were full of loneliness and trouble. _He's hiding something._ I thought.

"Do I look stupid, Draco?" I take hold of his hand "Something is bothering you."

"I can't say… if I could tell you I would." His eyes are telling the truth this time.

"Ok, but anytime you need, to talk, I'm here." I regretfully let go of his hand and walk to the balcony.

I can sense his confusion as he walks over to where I'm standing.

"Beautiful night." I sigh

"Yeah, ah… thanks Gr… Hermione." I realize that's the first time he has said my first name all night.

"No problem, I think what we both need is a friend."

"A friend." He says it as if it's a foreign word, something he has never had. "But in public your still 'Know-it-all Granger."

"Yeah, and your still stick-up-his-arse Malfoy,"

"Friends?" he sticks out his hand.

"Friends." and instead of shaking his hand I pull him in for a hug.


End file.
